1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a treatment endoscope having a treatment instrument inserted into an arm section which is provided at the distal end of an insertion section and operated to conduct treatment.
2. Background Art
Laparoscopic surgery is a known technique for conducting medical activities including observation of or treatment for the organs of human body, and this technique provides manipulation by making a plurality of openings on the gastric wall and inserting a treatment instrument such as laparoscopy or forceps, etc. into each opening instead of making a large abdominal incision. This type of surgery is advantageous because the mere formation of small openings on the gastric wall can reduce stress imposed on a patient.
As a method of even further reducing stress on the patient, it has been proposed in recent years to carry out manipulations by inserting a flexible endoscope into the patient via a natural opening such as the mouth, nostrils or anus. An example of a medical treatment endoscope used in such procedures is disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0065397.
In the medical treatment endoscope disclosed in this reference, arm members that have a bendable end are respectively inserted into a plurality of lumens disposed within a flexible inserted part that is inserted into the body via the mouth of the patient. By inserting respective instruments through these arm members, the procedure site can be approached from different directions with the various instruments. Accordingly, a plurality of procedures can be carried out in continuum by means of a single endoscope inserted into the body.